{"id":11142,"date":"2020-12-21T10:36:36","date_gmt":"2020-12-21T15:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/?p=11142"},"modified":"2025-05-15T15:25:08","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T19:25:08","slug":"copay-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prisonpolicy.org\/blog\/2020\/12\/21\/copay-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Prisons shouldn’t be charging medical co-pays – especially during a pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

This briefing has been updated with updated data in May 2025.<\/a><\/p>\n

\nDespite a record number of new COVID-19 cases in prisons this month<\/a>, some state departments of correction are already starting to roll back necessary suspensions of medical co-pays. Prior to the pandemic, most prison systems charged incarcerated people between $2 and $5 for each medical appointment — a fee that can make attaining medical care burdensome or impossible. In March, we found that many states had relaxed these policies<\/a> in response to the pandemic, either suspending all medical co-pays, or suspending those for respiratory or flu-like symptoms. But in a follow-up survey of medical co-pay policies, we found that since March, three states have made their policies more<\/i> restrictive in the middle of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Arkansas, Idaho, and Minnesota had previously suspended all co-pays as of March, but have since reinstated co-pays for non-flu-like symptoms. They are now among 29 states that currently suspend co-pays only <\/i>for visits involving respiratory, flu-related, or COVID-19 symptoms — a policy that discourages many from seeking treatment. Even worse, Nevada has continued to charge co-pays throughout the pandemic, regardless of symptoms. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, three states have improved their policies since March: New Jersey has suspended all medical co-pays, and Delaware and Hawaii suspended co-pays for those with flu-like symptoms. <\/p>\n